Needle threader



Jan. 26, 1954 K; HOECKELE 2,667,294

NEEDLE THREDER Filed Sept. 28, 1950 I V EN TOR.

FIG. T /fZ/J ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNlfIEDif l QEE ICEi,

NEEDLE THRISADERl Karl Heckele; Newark; N. Applicationcptemher 28,1950;.SrialiN...18?l;l9l

tlaimsf` (Cl."223"-999" The, present invention relates. to. sewing; de.-vices,. and has. particular. reference. tot al novel' construction foraneedlethreader.

The principallobj ect .of "the invention is .to .Dro-.-- vide. a.simple,`comp.actl threader. for threading.4 sewing 4machine needles.

An ,additional 'obj ect Lof;the-inventionis' to. pro.- videa needlethreader which. p.ushesa thread. through the eye lof the needle.

Another object. offthefinvention.is.-to provide the-threader. with. a.guide. which is. adapted toA slide. along. the. needle, and. a. springpressed threading 'nger which moves the thread through the needle eyewhenthe linger is opposite the needleleye...

A further object istoprovide` a.threader with a slot for receiving athreadanda'spring pressed ngerzfadjacent the slot, thezfingerbeingshapeda to` relea-sably.; hold.the .threadzduring the-threadingoperation.

With the abovey and Iother objects and advantageous features in view,the invention comprises a novel arrangement ofparts' more fully-dis'-closed'in the detailed# description following; in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, and more specicallydened in the claims appendedthereto.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front view showing the threader in needle threadingposition;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the threader, the threading nger beingretracted;

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2, the top being removed to disclosethe arrangement of parts;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of Figure 3, the threading nger beingretracted;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 5, the threadingfinger in needle threading position;

Figures 7 and 8 are an enlarged view of the threading finger inretracted and threading position respectively.

It has been found desirable to provide a simple, compact threader whichis positive in action, and is quickly applied to a sewing needle throughthe eye. To this end, I provide a small device which has its forward endshaped to embrace a needle and to slide along the needle to the eye; andI provide a slot in the forward end to receive a thread, the fingerbeing urged forwardly when the eye is reached to extend through the eyeand carry the thread with it, whereby withdrawing the device withdrawsthe nger from the eye while leaving the thread therein.

Referring; to" the. drawingithe threader I 0 is'- shown in Fig. 1"`as'appliewto-a sewing-machine needle II "for -threadingth'e eyeof'theneedlewitlr a.vthread, I2. The threader I0. is of elongated hollowtype, with axbiase I3 l'lavingjsides- I4.' I5.

and a shaped`rear-end I6; the'forward'end having`A an' extension lip.I1" which extends, upwardly-'asf indicated. at I8. and" then Adownwardlyand out*- wardly as indicatedatfl the base sides III," I.5 ashaped'rear end 231'ex-= tending over.` the .b'ase rear endj` I6, and*anex= tension lip 2Ilat the frwardendwhich extends downwardlyV as.indicated at' 25"- andi' tirenr up= wardly and" outwardlyA as.indicated" at' 26?` toy provideA atransverse `needle'receiving channel"211 between theparts |9.and"25"an'd"a narrowspace 28ibetween ...the,partsj 25* and `I8"fr the purpose hereinafter described.`

A block ZS, see Eig ..4j is"slidahlyjseatedintiie hollow.haseMandisgproviddfwitli an elongated s1otj3ll,V the block, bodyat,the.rear"end"`of`the slt" b'eing stepped-to receive` the rear end'ofaat spring 3| shaped to move into the slot 30 when depressed at itsforward end. The forward end of the spring 3| has e. button 32 mountedtherein, and the cover 20 has a short elongated slot 33 through whichthe button extends, the button having a reduced portion 34 into whichthe sides of the cover slot seat, the rear end of the slot 33 having acircular enlarged opening 35 through which the bottom portion of thebutton may extend, as shown in Fig. 5.

A pressure spring 36 extends between a projection 31 on the rear end ofthe block and the rear end I6 of the base, to resiliently urge the blockforwardly, and the front of the block is recessed to receive a threadertongue 38 which projects outwardly through the narrow space 28 and intothe needle receiving recess 21. As shown in Figs. 'I and 8, the forwardend of the tongue 38 is curved inwardly as indicated at 39 to receivethe thread I2, and the upper and lower parts I9 and 26 are provided withaligned longitudinal slots 40, 4I for insertion of the thread I2 intocontact with the tongue 38.

The operation of the threader may now fbe explained. The threader isheld in one hand. preferably the right hand, with the button 32 facingthe operator, and the needle channel 21 to the operators left. Thebutton is pulled back to snap into the opening 35, thus retracting theblock and the tongue 38, and the thread is looped through the threadslots 40, 4I. T'he threader is now placed against the needle, with theneedle in the channel 21, and is slid down until the end of the tongue,which has a slight rearward movement provided by a slight end play ofthe button 32 in the opening 35 and is slightly resiliently pressed backby the needle, snaps into the eye of the needle. The button 32 is nowreleased by pressing down, whereupon the block advances and the tonguemoves forwardly through the Vneedle as shown in Fig. l, holding carryingthe thread with it. The thread is now grasped by the operator, and thethreader needle is withdrawn.

'Ihe threader is thus of simple construction, with positive action, andoperates by pushing the thread through the needle eye by spring action.

Although I have described a specific constructional embodiment of myinvention, it is obvious that changes in the size, shape and arrangementj of the parts and in their operation may be made to suit differentthreading requirements, without departing from the spirit and the scopeof the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1 In a threader, an elongated hollow body having a base and a covershaped to conform to and mate with the base, a movable block in saidbody resiliently urged forwardly and manually retractable rearwardly, arecess in said block, a threading tongue mounted in said recess, theforward ends of said base and said cover having spaced extension lips,the forward ends of said lips having a transverse needle receivingchannel therebetween, the rear ends of said lips includ ing a narrowspace for passage of the threading tongue, said tongue having a threadreceiving portion for holding the thread during forward movement of theblock, said needle receiving channel havingl slot means for receiving athread, and manual means for releasably locking the block -in retractedposition. n

2. In aV threader, an elongated hollow vbody having a -base and a covershaped to conform to and mate'with the base, a movable block in said 4body resiliently urged forwardly and manually retractable rearwardly, arecess in said block, a threading tongue mounted in said recess, theforward ends of said base and said cover having spaced extension lips,the forward ends of said lips having a transverse needle receivingchannel therebetween, the rear ends of said lips including a narrowspace for passage of the threading tongue, said tongue having a threadreceiving portion having its forward end inwardly curved for holding thethread during forward movement of the block, said needle receivingchannel having slot means for receiving a thread, and manual means forreleasably locking the block in retracted position.

3. In a threader, an elongated hollow body having a base and a covershaped to conform to and mate over the base, a movable block in saidbody resiliently urged forwardly and manually retractable rearwardly, arecess in said block, a threading tongue mounted in Said recess, thefor- Ward ends of said base and said cover having spaced extension lips,the forward ends of said lips having a transverse needle receivingchannel therebetween, the rear ends of said lips including a narrowspace for passage of the threading tongue, said tongue having a threadreceiving portion for holding the thread during forward movement of theblock, said needle receiving channel having aligned longitudinal slotsfor receiving a thread, and manual means for releasably locking theblock in retracted position.

' KARL HOECKELE.

References cited in the me of this patent Great Britain Y Mar.r 3, 1921

